At long last, a new batch of happy sights! No surprise at all, there’s a lot of food in here. I just love exploring my city by checking out local spots and tasting delicacies I’ve never had before. An errand also took me back to a neighborhood I hadn’t visited in a while which is home to a bakery that inspired one of my very first blog posts.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been able to blog as much as I would like to, but this little outing reminded me how much this space helped me adjust to and celebrate my new home. I look forward to sharing even more happy sights from Tokyo and beyond.

I also recently enjoyed my first afternoon tea at the Aman Tokyo. I joined a wonderful group of ladies for a much needed afternoon of chat and delicious food. Just check out those scones above. In short, I tried clotted cream. I. GET. IT. NOW. I love tea — a love that’s only grown since moving to Asia — and I think it’s safe to say I get why people love this tradition so much. Let these pics inspire you to find a place nearby to enjoy afternoon tea with your friends — it’s like sugar-filled therapy.

While the size of Tokyo can be overwhelming, what I love about it is there are always new neighborhoods and sights to explore. Just when I think I’ve learned an area, I stumble onto a new restaurant or shop. I can safely say we’re nowhere close to being bored here.

Work took me to some new areas last week for interviews and events and back to our old neighborhood as well. My sights for the week kick off with this news-inspired display in Ginza Station beneath department stores Matsuya Ginza and Mitsukoshi. My nerdy, journo heart just had to stop and give it a second look.

Happy Monday!

Enjoyed this fish platter (minus the rando macaroni and cheese with corn) from Aloha Kitchen while visiting with a friend.

Spotted this small urban farm in Setagaya.

Weekend strolls in Ginza are something I miss since moving to a different neighborhood.

These doner kebabs were just one tasty (and messy) thing we ate at the Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival (full post coming tomorrow).

Craig had a near-miss going through the torii, a problem I’ll never have, thankfully.

There are still plenty of days when I have to pinch myself, take a step back and remember I live in Japan. When I’m stuck inside for days at a time working, it can be easy to forget I’m somewhere meant to be explored as much as possible. That’s the crucial part of making the most of this experience — because you never really know how long it will last.

Last week I had the chance to be a tourist in my own town for a day, exploring some new and some familiar sights around Tokyo along with a fellow American blogger, Matt Stabile (Side Note: I found out he and his wife currently live on the exact street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, I used to live on. Craziness.).

While it may seem redundant to go back to places I’ve frequented often, it’s nice to be reminded of how fascinating they are when you experience them again through the eyes of a newcomer. I get to see how much I’ve learned and put my knowledge — and still-limited Japanese — to the test. I’m also reminded of how much of Tokyo, let alone Japan, I have left to see. It reinvigorates me to get out there.

Enjoy this tour of essential spots in Tokyo to visit that I’d highly recommend to anyone visiting Japan. Be sure to check back later this week to see what happened when we left the hustle and bustle of Tokyo to immerse ourselves in a much different pace up north.

The first step in my kimono experience at Kimono Gallery in Ginza was getting my hair done. It was so hot out and it came out so well that I left it in all day!

Ready to hit the streets of Ginza. You can rent a kimono from Kimono Gallery for a day for a stroll or to attend a tea ceremony. It was fascinating to see all the steps it took to get dressed. I felt beautiful afterwards, even if it was a bit hard to breathe.

The tea room at Ginza Chazen, where we learned about the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Beautiful Japanese sweets made from beans. You use a single chopstick to slice pieces to eat, finishing the entire sweet while your matcha tea is made.

Watching the preparation of matcha. First, all the instruments are cleaned.

It was my turn to add the matcha powder — ground green tea leaves — to hot water and try out the whisking.

After the tea ceremony, we went to Kagurazaka Shizuku in Kagurazaka for lunch. After some appetizers, we enjoyed homemade tofu.

The next course was sashimi.

We grilled fresh duck in a piping hot skillet at the table.

Tempura followed.

The last savory course was udon.

And my favorite, matcha ice cream as the grand finale.

Taking in the view of Shibuya near from famous Shibuya Crossing from the Excel Hotel Tokyu (also in the top image).

After watching the scramble in Shibuya Crossing, we moved onto Golden Gai in Shinjuku to have some dinner. This area is famous for its rows of tiny restaurants and bars.

Following dinner, the group moved onto Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku for some electric entertainment to round out the night. You can read about my previous visit to Robot Restaurant here.

This is how a packed day ended. I couldn’t have been happier to check into the Hyatt Regency Shinjuku, especially since I was coming down with a cold. The tub was heaven.

I remember the first time Craig left me by myself in Tokyo for a business trip. Not only did I cry, but I imagined every possible worst-case scenario that could happen. What if there was another earthquake? What if I cut myself cooking and didn’t know how to talk to the emergency operator? What if my luck finally ran out and my forgotten flat iron did spark and burn down our building?

That first trip was hard, no question, but just like every new challenge I’ve had here in Tokyo, I got through it. The nightly FaceTime sessions with family and friends certainly helped.

Craig’s gone on another trip now and while I definitely still cry when he leaves, the panic I felt before isn’t there as much. Instead, I make plans beyond working my way through my Netflix queue. So, I decided to share some of my favorite things to do on my own in Tokyo. If you ever visit Tokyo, be sure to check some of these places out, especially if you break away from the pack for a while. Each one made me feel a bit more at home.

I can hardly believe Halloween is over and we’re rapidly approaching Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. Holiday lights started popping up around Tokyo during Halloween week, including this unbelievable display at Bulgari in Ginza. We spotted it yesterday on our walk and had to just and enjoy it for a moment.

I’ve almost got my holiday shopping list finalized and can’t wait to begin sending goodies to our loved ones back home. I had my most random list ever last year — in less than two hours, I ordered a plastic trombone, beer brewing equipment, a diaper cake and an e-reader. And that wasn’t even all of it! This Santa aims to please.

What are some of the highlights of your holiday gift giving over the years? Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, here’s a look at the past week.

Costume shopping at Don Quijote in Roppongi.

More Halloween decor at Itamae Sushi. It was actually kind of comforting to see.

It didn’t take long to realize all the finest representations of American cuisine have made their way to Tokyo. You can enjoy a Big Mac from McDonald’s, a pizza from Michigan’s own Domino’s and even a Bloomin’ Onion from Outback Steakhouse.

And yet, the one temple to American gastronomy that lured Craig and I before any of those options last Sunday was perhaps the first whose founders thought to combine lust with a deep fryer — Hooters.

The very subtle (wink) front entrance.

Founded by two bros in 1983, Hooters has become a global ambassador for an all-American good time — like it or not — and I just had to see how that translated to Japan. Thankfully, there is a location in our new neighborhood (8-5 Ginza Nine, 2nd Floor, Building 1, Tokyo, 104-0061).

His and hers — Bass for him and a yummy Long Island Iced Tea for me.

All jokes aside, we actually had a great time eating way too much fried food and enjoying a selection of songs we last partied to in college. The place was clean and modern and the servers were just as courteous and thoughtful as any other staff we’ve encountered since we arrived (they also make a mean Long Island Iced Tea). And like any girl, by the end of the meal I had convinced myself I needed a souvenir. But Hooters’ swag doesn’t come cheap, so I passed.

We started with the fried pickles. They could have used another few minutes in the fryer and some time draining — the ones on the bottom were practically floating — but give this girl a battered dill and she’s happy.

As for the main dishes, we went for boneless wings in the hot sauce (they actually were pretty mild), as well as some onion rings. That zesty orange sauce came with just about everything. Quite the YOLO meal for this fairly healthy eater.

And there was one thing going on at this Hooters location we never expected — a child’s birthday party.

Just your typical sight at a Hooters — strollers. Note the sign next to No. 19. Truth to be told, the parents seemed to be having more fun than the kids.

Barely able to walk, a Japanese toddler dressed in an impeccably tailored navy velvet blazer complete with pink satin pocket square turned one year older on a sunny Sunday afternoon, surrounded by beautiful women in tiny orange shorts and white tank tops slinging beer and wings. His chic mother even picked a designer dress in Hooters’ orange.

Whether it was the novelty of this American franchise that appealed to them as a truly unique party locale or if they were in on the joke, I can’t be 100 percent sure. Craig and I just looked at each other and thought if we’re ever parents, we hope to be that awesome. If we have a son and he turns to us on his 18th birthday wanting to celebrate “like a man,” we can let him know he had his chance.